no. 35 wednesday, october 7, 2020 pages 4 somali president...

No. 35 Wednesday, October 7, 2020 Pages 4

Speci

al Ed

ition

Seventeen patients have been diagnosed positive for COVID-19 in tests carried out on 3 October at Quarantine Centers in Senafe (14), Mai Mine (1)), Tsorona (1); and Enda-Giorghis (1) in the Southern Region.

All the patients are nationals who returned from Ethiopia recently.

Although the movement of people from one country to another remains banned in the region as a whole, the return of our nationals from Ethiopia, Sudan, Djibouti and Yemen through irregular routes continues to-date to reach 17,490 so far.

On the other hand, five patients who were receiving medical treatment in hospitals in the Southern and Southern Red Sea Regions have recovered fully and have been released from these facilities.

The total number of recovered patients to-date accordingly stands at 358.

The total number of confirmed cases in the country to-date has risen to 398.

Ministry of HealthAsmara

3 October 2020

The President of the Federal Republic of Somalia, H.E. Mohammed Abdullahi Mohammed, arrived in Asmara in mid-morning hours of October 4, for a two-day working visit.

President Mohammed and his delegation were accorded warm welcome by President Isaias Afwerki on arrival at Asmara International Airport.

President Isaias Afwerki and President Mohammed Abdullahi Mohammed held extensive talks at State House focusing on bolstering the Eritrea-Somalia cooperation framework and consolidation of a strong, independent and sovereign Somalia.

The two leaders further agreed to re-double ongoing efforts for regional integration on the basis of the Tri-Partite Agreement signed subsequently between Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia.

Accompanied by President Isaias Afwerki, President Mohammed Abdullahi Mohammed and his delegation visited various development sites and projects in the Southern and Northern Red Sea

The Director General of Agriculture and Land of the Northern Red Sea region, Mr. Mikael Tekie stated that strong effort is underway to enhance agricultural production and productivity using the region’s resources.

Pointing that thanks to the ample rainfall season, over 14 thousand 745 hectares have been cultivated and that crops are in good condition, Mr. Mikael said that 160 quintals of select seed disributed to farmers is expected to return bountiful harvest.

Effort undErway to incrEasE agricultural productivityannouncEmEnt from thE

ministry of hEalth

somali prEsidEnt on working visit in EritrEa

Regions.

Concluding his two-day working visit, President Mohammed

Abdullahi was seen off at the Asmara International Airport by

President Isaias Afwerki, Foreign Minister Osman Saleh and

Presidential Advisor Mr. Yemane Gebreab.

Mr. Mikael further said that since most diversion canals are damaged only a third of the 33 thousand 427 hectares of farmland is being cultivated through diversion canals in Afabet, Foro, Gindae and Gelalo sub-zones.

Indicating that effort is underway to involve farmers, alongside their crop farming activities, in bee hiving, vegetable and fruits farming, and cattle breeding activities in Gindae, Foro, Massawa, Afabet, Nakfa and Shieb sub-zones and that

encouraging result is being registered through irrigation.

Mr. Mikael went on to say that extensive water and soil conservation activities, renovation of diversion canals, forestation programs, as well as construction and renovation of dams and micro dams and underscored that effort will be exerted to expand reserved areas and animal vaccination programs with the objective of increasing the number of wild animals and the livestock.

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Aida Johar

2 No. 35Eritrea Profile, Wednesday, October 7, 2020

By: Dr. Fikrejesus Amahazion

Recently, the United Nations (UN) gathered for its annual general assembly meeting– virtually. Due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, national leaders did not travel to the UN, located in New York, to deliver their addresses, instead doing so via prerecorded video messages. As well, most of the usual events and proceedings related to the annual gathering were held virtually. In addition to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and widespread economic disruption, this is a unique year for the global organization: 2020 marks 75 years since it was formed. This important occasion is an ideal time and useful opportunity to take a closer look at the UN. In the following article, I review the UN’s general history, briefly noting some of its key achievements and challenges. In the next edition of Eritrea Profile, I will discuss the UN’s historic relations with Eritrea.

The term “United Nations” was originally coined and first used by the American President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the Declaration by United Nations dated 1 January 1942. The Declaration was formed

The United Nations at 75: Ambitions, Contributions, Challenges

in the midst of World War 2, as the representatives of 26 different nations pledged their Governments to continue fighting together against the Axis Powers (Germany, Italy, and Japan). Several years later, in 1945, representatives of 50 countries met in San Francisco at the United Nations Conference on International Organization in order to develop the UN Charter. The deliberations were guided by the framework and proposals that had been formulated by the representatives of China, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States throughout the previous year. Subsequently, the UN Charter was signed on 26 June 1945 by the representatives of the 50 countries. (Poland, which was not represented at the Conference, signed it later and became one of the original 51 member states). Finally, the UN officially came into existence on 24 October 1945, when the Charter was ratified by China, France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States (representing the five permanent members of the UN Security Council [UNSC]), along with a majority of the other countries.

As contained in Article 1 of the UN Charter, the UN is guided by four main purposes: to maintain international peace and security throughout the world; to develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples; to help nations work together to improve the lives of poor

people, to conquer hunger, disease, and illiteracy, and to encourage respect for each other’s rights and freedoms; and to be a center for harmonizing the actions of nations to achieve these goals.

Since its founding three-quarters of a century ago, the UN has grown into the world’s premier multilateral body and contributed to some significant victories and successes. A brief list of these victories and successes includes: peace treaties, decolonization, a dramatic increase in access to education for both boys and girls, human rights standards, the end of apartheid in South Africa, eradication of diseases, a reduction in hunger, development of international law and landmark pacts to protect the environment, and helping to avoid a military confrontation between the major global powers. As well, while the UN initially had just 51 member states, today it has 193 (with 2 observers, Palestine and the Vatican), representing almost all of humanity.

Notably, the UN has also played a positive role in many areas that are less known, such as civil aviation and international shipping. UN agencies have been responsible for setting and monitoring standards for aviation and shipping, ultimately helping improve safety, security, and efficiency both in the skies and within the seas. The International Telecommunication Union, a specialized UN agency that was founded in 1865, has improved global telecommunication networks and services, ultimately helping to

connect the world.At the same time, however, the UN

has also come in for considerable criticism over the years. For instance, while, in principle, all nations small and large, rich and poor, are to have equal voice and representation, the true power at the UN lay with UNSC, particularly with its permanent members (P5). While the P5 were the victors of World War 2 and played a key role in the UN’s formation, longstanding calls for reform have urged for the inclusion of new, emerging powers and for the representation of Africa and Latin America (both regions currently do not have a permanent seat). Indeed, it also needs a thorough consideration as to which country of which continent should be represented, because it is always fair to put the options on the table and give the countries equal chance to represent their respective continents. Besides, handpicked countries could be blinded by their own national interests and sideline the greater matter, which could clash with the core principles of the United Nations of having equal voice and representation.

The UN has also often been criticized for showing excessive deference and favoritism toward its powerful member states, as well as for lacking initiative and remaining paralyzed in the face of major conflicts in which major powers have an interest or stake. Not only has this been an outgrowth of its dependence on the funding and support of the major powers, historically the latter

have tacitly agreed that, whatever their differences, they were all better off with a less independent, weaker, and more compliant UN. This general sentiment was memorably captured by Daniel Patrick Moynihan, the US Ambassador to the UN, in the 1970s: “The [US] Department of State desired that the United Nations prove utterly ineffective in whatever measures it undertook. This task was given to me, and I carried it forward with no inconsiderable success.” Finally, while a total of nine individuals have served as the UN Secretary-General, none have been women.

While this year marks a special anniversary for the UN, the world has been faced with an array of pressing issues. In addition to the unprecedented global health crisis, which has had severe health, economic, and social impacts, other immense global challenges include: biodiversity is collapsing and a global climate crisis could threaten the very existence of the planet; billions of people are still living in poverty and denied a life of dignity; gender-related inequality and violence persist; there are considerable and rising inequalities within and among countries; new threats are being posed by transformative technologies; extremism and terrorism continue to plague many regions; instability and conflict remain in many parts of the globe, and tensions are simmering between the world’s two major economies and powers, the US and China. Furthermore, public trust in traditional institutions has declined in many countries, the forces of nationalism and populism are sweeping across the globe, and global cooperation and multilateralism have been flagging.

In the end, not too dissimilar to the situation at the end of World War 2, the sheer scale, multitude, and threats of the world’s recent challenges demonstrate the vital need for the UN, multilateralism, partnership, and global cooperation. Simply, building a better world requires the active participation and contributions of all. As the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, declared in his address in this year’s meeting, “Today, we have a surplus of multilateral challenges and a deficit of multilateral solutions.., [while] no one wants a world government...we must work together to improve world governance.”

The United Nations was formed in 1945.

Disclaimer: articles published in this column do not reflect the stance or opinion of Eritrea Profile

Natnael Yebio W.

To my dismay, after having successfully avoided attending social functions of any sort for almost a year, I was finally caught. I had to attend my cousin’s wedding with my mother. This time around my mam made sure to inform me not to make any other commitment on the day a good two weeks before the actual wedding day.

You see for over twelve months or so I had managed to make one excuse after another not to attend weddings, graduations, engagements, etc. But I had gotten to the final page of the book, ‘Excuses to make incase you had to attend a social function’, and I reluctantly agreed to go to this one. “It is just a couple of hours,” I told myself. “I’ll be back just in time to watch Newcastle play Brighton.” As an introvert mass gatherings exhaust me; weddings are no different, they really are not my forte. However, as the eldest in my family I’m rather obligated to make appearances here and there. Anyway this is not about me. It is about weddings and expenses. Time to hit top form!

Eritrean wedding expenses include renting a venue for the reception, cars (preferably white Mercedes), tuxedos, wedding gowns, bride-maids’ dresses, best men’s suits, wedding cake, a band and the list goes on and on and there are the formal clothes close relatives have to buy for the day itself. Mother of the bride might feel it necessary to buy her sisters (if she has any) the same outfit as hers so that they can match one another. We all know if there are three or four women wearing the same outfit at a wedding, they are sisters or close relatives or close friends. These are just few of the many examples that make Eritrean weddings pricey.

It is no secret wedding seasons are filled with shrieks and cries of families of the newly engaged and wed as bank accounts wither from wedding expenses. Some are willing to acknowledge the harmful effects of bridal bashing, but others are still in denial.


Budget wedding? Let ’s at least try, people!Our weddings may be romantic

and a huge family affairs that bring together the neighborhood communities, relatives and friends. But they are very expensive requiring not only the f a m i l i e s of the

newlywed but close relatives and, at times, even friends to chip in beyond their capabilities. Weddings are supposed to be a celebration to see the marrying couple off to their new life, a time of blessing for a happy and prosperous marriage, and they should not be about showing how much money you can fork out all in one go.

We know COVID-19 has disrupted life across the globe, and it has equally disrupted the wedding season in Eritrea. Wedding plans that have been in the pipeline for a good nine months are in jeopardy as couples are caught between a rock and a hard place; they have to make a decision as to whether to postpone their wedding day indefinitely or go ahead with it. There is no question that the virus has caused so many deaths, which is tragic, but in my opinion it has also brought about a welcome change to the way weddings are held and should be held in the future.

The wedding party I went to two weeks ago was a small and

intimate gathering of close family members and friends. The entire

ceremony was held at the rooftop of the bride’s house on a sunny Sunday afternoon. In the morning the bride and groom, along with their maids of honor and best men, went for a photo shoot around the city.

At approximately 3 o’clock in the afternoon, they arrived at the bride’s house for the official ceremony, where they had lunch followed by dances and a cake cutting ceremony, all in a space of three hours. By the end of it all I left saying to myself that I can get used to this pretty easily. At 6:30 I was already home and watching a football match on television.

Traditionally Eritrean wedding parties are huge, lasting three days. Yes, you read that right, THREE DAYS! The first day of the ceremony, which usually falls on a Saturday, the groom, accompanied by his best men, goes to the bride’s house and

takes her to church for the official wedding. After the church service, the newlywed and their guests

go to a nearby park to take wedding pictures. Then

they go for a lavish breakfast, which

is followed by a solo

d a n c e o f

t h e

newlywed while the

camera crew try to capture every bit

of it.

In the past, the wedding reception was usually held at a large tent near the groom’s home, but these days it is becoming increasingly common to have the reception at a hotel or rented out hall.

On the second day of the matrimonial ceremony, the wedding starts early in the morning with the bride wearing her white gown and the groom in an immaculate suit. The couple go to a park and spend the morning taking pictures with loved ones and guests. The official ceremony starts as the bride and groom make their way to the bride’s home where a reception is held in their honor. The newlywed are accompanied by a long line of white Mercedes and latest model cars, possibly rented for the occasion. At the bride’s reception, the family of the bride sits on one side and the family of the bridegroom on the other side of the tent. The ritual starts after

lunch when representatives of both families exchange promises of loyalty and a priest blesses the wedding. When all this takes place the bride stays in her room until her grand entrance to the tent. After she enters the tent with her groom lunch is served to the couple and the groom’s and bride’s parties.

Once the feast is over, it is mandatory to sing two traditional songs before the dancing starts: Awlo, a song in honor of the family members whose names are specifically mentioned by the singer; and Masse, in honor of the women who prepared the traditional food for the wedding.

The ceremony ends with the cutting of the wedding cake and opening champagne and a dance by the bride and bridegroom. While the newlywed dance, a basket is passed around the crowd to collect money as a gift for the couple. The newlywed leave to go to the groom’s place, where there is another ceremony being held by the groom’s family. The bride leaves her house accompanied by her maids of honor. Her family do not attend the groom’s wedding party but instead continue to feast and dance long into the night as a celebration.

All that might be beautiful but it is concerning to see how much money goes into a huge Eritrean wedding. I do not see the point of having such huge and lavish weddings, especially those done to impress the bride’s family or your own, for that matter. You spend almost all of your savings for two days of hectic celebrations only to end up with a few to start a new life, and the relatives you tried to impress and make happy tend to forget about you afterwards.

Getting your budget right should be one of your top priorities when you plan a wedding. Whether you plan on having a big or a small event, deciding on a benchmark for your expenses will make it easy for you and your partner in the long run. This can also be a good lesson for you to live the rest of your married life according to your budget.


I have never felt like I am different from anyone else

Growing up, I remember my family spoiling me extensively, especially my father. I don’t think I can ever have enough words to describe how well my father took care of me. I have never felt that I was less than my siblings or anyone else, for that matter, except at those times when I saw the reaction of guests who came to visit us at home. My father knew me well and fully understood my thoughts and ideas. And if there is anything I learned from my mother it was ‘hope’. I grew up knowing that I

could do anything I put my mind to. I remember that my father had to go visit many schools to enroll me but they rejected me. Through his determination, though, he was finally able to enroll me. Of course, that didn’t mean the challenges were over. Everyone was wondering how I was going

Happily, that is How she Lives!Asmait Futsumbrhan

Born with genetic abnormalities in 1983, Tsegereda Debrom had to face life with her impairment. This strong Eritrean grew up in a family that made her feel she wasn’t different from anyone else and that she could do anything in her life. Tsegereda, an agronomist by training, paints, plays sports and does all kinds of house chores using her feet. Here is a translation of an excerpt of a short conversation she had with Eri-TV.

to cope with the demands of the school work. I was born with impairment in my hands, so people wondered how I was going to be able to write. However, with God’s help, I was able to use my feet like my hands.

Sawa, a place where I made friends and made my way to college

Of course, there were difficulties I had to go through, but Sawa is the place where I had a good experience and a good time. Most of all, there, I got to meet people from across the country and shared experiences and culture.

What made me happy was making lifetime friends in Sawa. Those people cared for me and supported me in ways that I couldn’t even begin to imagine. I didn’t only get support from the students but from the superintendents as well. I don’t remember all their names, but I am forever grateful.

I know that can’t be the only reason I was in Sawa. I was there to continue my education and

take the Matriculation Exam, which I passed to study for a diploma in college. After first going to the Eritrean Institute of Technology and Science, I joined the Hamelmalo College of Agriculture where I got my diploma from the Agronomy Department. After graduation, I was assigned to the Ministry of Agriculture where I worked for a year.

I was inspired by Yemane, a guy who painted with his mouth

There was a program on TV about Yemane, who painted with his mouth. Watching it got me thinking why I can’t paint with my feet as I do all my activities with them. Then I went ahead and joined Satreb and Segen Art schools and took courses on painting. I honestly can’t say that I have made a lot of progress, especially considering how long it has been since I started painting. But all the same I love

to paint. I live at a small family house, and I am not always able to paint freely, but I don’t let that

prevent me from painting.

Injera is the only thing I don’t make at home

Every one of us needs help sometimes, and there are times when I need help to do certain things. I try to participate in almost all the daily chores at home,

washing clothes, making and serving coffee, cooking, cleaning the house and running errands. I just can’t sit and look at people doing something. Whatever they are doing I can do with my feet. I sometimes think that if people help me figure out ways, I want to ride a bike and may be drive. The only thing that’s a challenge for me is making Injera using the traditional oven.

There is something I want to remind you about

When I look at people without disability struggling and doing nothing in their lives, I wonder why they can’t use their time and try to discover their talents. I was inspired by someone I saw on TV and that is why I’m doing this interview, to motivate people to do something in their lives. To show people that people with disabilities can do anything they put their minds to and achieve their goals.

no. 35 wednesday, october 7, 2020 pages 4 somali president...

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